MPPS in the news

CLOSUP Updates

Bridge Listens: The state of democracy, transparency in Michigan

Jul 28, 2026 Bridge Michigan

Michigan has been at the epicenter of heated national debates over election policies and how the democratic process works, particularly since President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 loss.

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Opinion: Democracy is a skill we may be forgetting

Jul 15, 2026 Livingston Daily

Democracy isn't just about what's making national headlines. It's about the city council meeting, the board of education meeting and the local little league game.

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Local officials think the Legislature is doing a bad job

Jul 10, 2026 Gongwer

The opinion of local government leaders on the state, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature is falling, according to a statewide survey conducted in spring of 2026 by the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy Center for Local, Sta...

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U-M survey finds 60% of local officials believe Michigan is ‘on the wrong track’

Jul 9, 2026 Click on Detroit

A majority of local officials in Michigan say the state is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new survey from the University of Michigan.

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Report: Local governments getting better at budgets; municipal leaders looking for more new approaches

May 8, 2026 Gongwer

Michigan’s local government units have improved over the past decade at adopting formal budgeting policies and exceeding state requirements for employing data-driven, predictive budget practices for their jurisdictions, a new report from the Universi...

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Special Episode on Local Government Finance Report

Apr 14, 2026 Michigan Association of Counties podcast

Michigan counties are leaving the era of COVID-prompted aid with good balance sheets, says a University of Michigan researcher in a new Podcast 83 episode.

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Michigan city leaders say local democracy is working

Jan 14, 2026 WDET 101.9 FM Detroit

At the federal level, democracy is on its heels in America. But at the local level, despite weak participation, officials say democracy is strong. The trash is getting picked up on time, and services are being properly distributed, especially in more...

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Local democracy is strong, but rural Michigan communities are falling behind, new survey shows

Jan 6, 2026 Yahoo! News

According to our recent survey of officials in Michigan communities, local democracy is humming along and city hall is taking care of business.

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Local Elected Officials Trust In Residents Drops; Trust In Democracy Holds Fast

Nov 20, 2025 Michigan Information & Research Service Inc.

A new statewide survey of local government leaders across Michigan shows a paradox: officials say local democracy is functioning well, even while their trust in residents has fallen to its lowest recorded level.

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Michigan Leaders Back Police Misconduct Database, Not Access

Jul 9, 2025 Mirage News

Michigan's local leaders strongly support a law enforcement database for keeping track of officer misconduct, though far fewer are in favor of that database being accessible to the public. That's a key finding from the latest installment of the Michi...

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Report: Local lawmakers, law enforcement officers want access to misconduct reports, internal investigations

Jul 8, 2025 Gongwer

There is widespread support among local government and law enforcement for the creation of a statewide misconduct database for law enforcement officers, according to a report from the University of Michigan's Center for Local, State and Urban Policy....

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Report: more localities implementing policies to improve relationships between communities and police

Jun 2, 2025 State Affairs

Michigan communities have increasingly adopted techniques to improve relations between their residents and local police, a study from the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy found, but have seen less movement on making t...

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Navigating the Complexities of Trust in US Policing: A Holistic Approach to Community Engagement, De-escalation, and Independent Oversight

May 23, 2025 Forward Pathway

Your sharp-tongued editor is here to tackle the thorny issue of public trust in U.S. law enforcement, or, as it’s increasingly known, the public distrust in U.S. law enforcement. Because, oh, brilliant, it seems that after years of national conversat...

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Michigan Public Policy Survey suggests uncertainty among local officials on AI police surveillance technology

May 12, 2025 The Michigan Daily

Since 2009, the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy has conducted the Michigan Public Policy Survey, a biannual survey of local government leaders across the state. This year’s report, “Mich...

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Michigan Law Enforcement Expands Tech Use, but AI Adoption Remains Uncertain

May 1, 2025 Babl

Michigan’s law enforcement agencies have significantly expanded their use of surveillance technology over the past decade, though uncertainty remains high around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, according to a new report from the Univer...

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Energy Experts Highlight Broader Implications

May 1, 2025 Thumbwind.com

Industry analysts note that the repeal could have significant ripple effects. Sarah Mills, senior research specialist at the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, pointed out in a recent report that Michigan’s clean ener...

MPPS in the news

Survey: Law enforcement surveillance technology is rapidly progressing, but AI raises concerns

Apr 29, 2025 Yahoo News

Usage of surveillance technology by law enforcement agencies in Michigan has exploded in the last decade, but a recent survey conducted by the University of Michigan found that as artificial intelligence tools are developed, law enforcement and local...

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Survey: Law enforcement surveillance technology is rapidly progressing, but AI raises concerns

Apr 29, 2025 Michigan Advance

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U-M Survey: Michigan Officials Warry Of AI Or Other Predictive Policing Tools

Apr 26, 2025 MITechNews.com

While law enforcement surveillance technology use has boomed, some Michigan officials are wary of adopting newer AI-driven policing tools, according to a University of Michigan survey. The Michigan Public Policy Survey, conducted last spring by U-M’s...

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The AI Wave in US Law Enforcement and Legal Systems: Potential, Challenges, and Regulatory Uncertainty

Apr 24, 2025 Forward Pathway

Ah, Michigan. Always a bit of a puzzle, isn’t it? Especially when it comes to embracing the shiny new toys of technology. Your low-key editor is here to tell you that according to a recent survey out of the University of Michigan, local officials in ...

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Police apprehensive about AI as surveillance tech grows, Michigan study shows

Apr 24, 2025 StateScoop

While the use of surveillance technology by local law enforcement agencies across Michigan has increased over the last nine years, many agencies said they were wary of using artificial intelligence tools in policing, according to a survey released We...

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Amplifying local voices: Michigan Public Policy Survey shares insights, experiences of Michigan’s township officials

Mar 21, 2025 Township Focus

For more than 15 years, a statewide survey of local government officials has helped to garner the opinions, experiences and insights of thousands of public leaders. These efforts, in which MTA is a partner, glean important information to help inform ...

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Law enforcement leaders want specialized response programs, new survey says

Feb 27, 2025 Michigan Public

About eight out of every 10 Michigan county sheriffs and local police chiefs support having some type of specialized emergency response that would include professionals in fields like mental health and social work for some 911 calls, according to Mic...

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Report: Public Safety Survey Shows Half Of MI Law Enforcement Agencies Feel They Are Underfunded

Feb 7, 2025 Gongwer

A new report from the University of Michigan's Center for Local, State and Urban Policy shows that 59 percent of county sheriffs and 45 percent of local police chiefs feel they are not provided appropriate or sufficient funding. The report released l...

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CLOSUP: Michigan law enforcement agencies discuss financial issues

Feb 6, 2025 Cadillac News

These days, many people are feeling financially strained, and a recent University of Michigan report suggests that municipal officials and law enforcement agencies are experiencing similar challenges. While some might say, “Thanks, Captain Obvious,” ...

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Survey asks police chiefs, sheriffs about funding levels

Feb 2, 2025 Moody on the Market

A new survey has found many law enforcement officials around the state view their funding levels as inadequate. The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan says its latest Michigan Public Policy Survey sought the input...

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Statewide survey finds many law enforcement officials believes they’re underfunded

Jan 31, 2025 WSJM News

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Nearly half of Michigan law enforcement officials concerned about funding, according to U-M survey

Jan 23, 2025 Publicnow.com

Survey: Half of Michigan local law enforcement agencies say they are underfunded, while most local governments are satisfied with their appropriations Among Michigan law enforcement agency leaders, concerns about funding levels are widespread, with a...

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Law enforcement leaders view pretrial diversion programs as a source for positive change

Nov 20, 2024 My Science

A majority of Michigan sheriffs, police chiefs and county prosecutors support programs that allow certain offenders to participate in alternative paths to standard criminal prosecution, according to a new University of Michigan study. The broad suppo...

MPPS in the news

Recruitment and retention of local law enforcement a growing issue in Michigan

Sep 23, 2024 WILX 10 News

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - “Recruitment has been an issue for most every Michigan police department in the last few years. I think the pendulum will swing back where recruitment is good but right now it’s a challenge,” said Williamston Police Chief Jeff...